Influence of Different Transition Modes on the Performances of a Hydraulic Turbine

In order to analyze the response of a hydraulic turbine to a variation in the operating conditions,different laws of variation in time of the massflow rate have been considered.After validating the overall numerical framework through comparison with relevant experiments,the performances of the considered turbine have been analyzed from afluid-dynamic point of view.The results show that different time profiles of the massflow rate(in this work,for simplicity,referred to as“transition functions”)have a varying influence on the transient behavior of the turbine.When a quadratic function is considered for the case of largeflow,the transient head and torque increase gradually with time,thefluctuation amplitude of the transient hydraulic efficiency at the main frequency is the largest,and thefluctuation amplitude of the radial force is the smallest.For the smallflow case,the time profile with exponential nature leads to the best results.The transient head and torque decrease gradually with time,the pulsation amplitude of the transient hydraulic efficiency is the largest at the main frequency,and the pulsation amplitude of the radial force is the smallest.

Analysis of the Impact of the Space Guide Vane Wrap Angle on the Performance of a Submersible Well Pump

In order to study the influence of the wrap angle relating to the space guide vane of a submersible well pump(250QJ125)on the flow field and pump performance,seven possible configurations have been considered(obtained by changing the blade wrap angle while keeping unchanged all the other parameters).Such configurations have been numerically simulated in the framework of a computational model based on the Reynolds time-averaged N-S equations,the RNG k-εturbulence approach and the SIMPLE algorithm.The impact exerted by different wrap angles of the guide vane on the performance of the pump,the internal losses of the guide vane and the flow field distribution in the bladeless area at the guide vane outlet has been assessed via cross-comparison of all these cases.The results show that the wrap angle has a significant influence:the wrap angle with the highest head is different from that with the highest efficiency,and changes in this angle have a more significant effect on the head than efficiency.A moderate raise of the wrap angle can improve the properties of the flow,reduce turbulence losses and enhance the energy conversion rate inside the guide vane.Different wrap angles can also lead to different fluid circulation modes in the bladeless area from guide vane outlet to impeller inlet,while they have a weak influence on the absolute value of the velocity of the fluid entering the impeller.

Influence of the Axial Position of the Guide Vane on the Fluctuations of Pressure in a Nuclear Pump

The influence of the axial mount position of the guide vane on the pressure fluctuation in a nuclear pump(AP1000)is investigated.The characteristics of the three-dimensional flow inside the nuclear pump are analyzed by means of numerical simulation.Results indicate that when the axial relative distance between the guide vane and the pumping chamber is reduced,in conditions of“small flow,”the efficiency of the pump increases,the pressure inside the pumping chamber decreases,while the losses related to the guide vane grow.Under large flow conditions,as the efficiency of the pump decreases,the losses for the guide vane and the pumping chamber increase.The pressure fluctuation in the annular pumping chamber is basically determined by the rotation frequency and the blade passing frequency.The magnitude of these fluctuations is affected by the guide vane axial position.In particular,the smallest possible amplitude is obtained when the outlet central plane of the guide vane coincides with the outlet axis of the pumping chamber.

Erosion Characteristics of Hydraulic Turbine Guide-Vane End Clearance in Sediment Water Flow: A Simplified Model Analysis

The effect of clearance flow on the erosion characteristics of a circular cylinder with a backward facing step in sediment-laden water flow is analyzed numerically with the mixture model and the re-normalization group (RNG) k-ε turbulence model. Thirty-six monitoring points are set up on different stream surfaces to collect information on the impact erosion under different flow conditions, where the Initial Sediment Volume Fraction (ISVF) is set to 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, 0.125, and 0.15;particle diameter is set to 0.05 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.35 mm, and 0.45 mm respectively. The distribution of particle velocity and Local Solid-Phase Volume Fraction (LSVF) along different stream surfaces are calculated, based on which the trend of erosion is qualitatively evaluated. ISVF and particle diameter play different roles on the impact erosion index parameter () on the different wetted walls. Relative wear rate of numerical estimation agrees well with the practical one under the same working condition. Numerical analysis demonstrates that guide vane with a negative curvature end surface (concave surface) can decrease erosion damage effectively, which may provide a reference for optimal design and maintenance of hydraulic turbine.

Influence of the Impeller/Guide Vane Clearance Ratio on the Performances of a Nuclear Reactor Coolant Pump

An AP1000 nuclear reactor coolant pump is considered to assess the influence of the Impeller/Guide vane clearance on the performances of this type of pumps.Experiments and numerical simulations relying on an unidirectional fluid-solid coupling approach are used to investigate the problem(stress,strain and mode of the rotor).The results reveal the relationship existing between the hydraulic performance of the nuclear reactor coolant pump and the clearance ratio.The effect of clearance ratio on the maximum equivalent stress on the back surface of the impeller blade is greater than that on the working surface(the maximum equivalent stress on the back surface of impeller blade is about three times that on the working surface).The clearance ratio has a scarce effect on the first six natural frequencies of the rotor of the nuclear reactor coolant pump.The related vibrational modes have different waveforms.